Nice To See You Again
by StoryWriter107
Summary: [Set After Fyre, before Todhunter Moon] - Marcia is feeling lonely, so she decides to go out for a walk, and suddenly has a run in with an old friend. {*Marcia/Milo*} ... Fluff! Let me know if you want me to continue this!
1. Nice To See You Again

Nice To See You Again.

_Author's Note: Wrote this a while ago and forgot all about it. Turns out I left it in my tumblr drafts. Hope you all enjoy and get inspired to leave me prompts in the reviews section so I can write more. I really love this fandom, especially Marcia and Milo. Happy Holidays everyone._

No longer being the Extra Ordinary Wizard was a struggle for Marcia. She loved Septimus with all her heart, like the son she'd never had, but couldn't help envying him slightly. She missed the work and the responsibility. Being Extra Ordinary Wizard gave her a purpose. She felt needed and wanted, even by those who didn't really like her that much. Now she didn't know what to do with herself.

The first few weeks had been wonderful. She'd sat alone in front of the fire with a mug of sweet tea and a good book. The sound of the fire burning the logs was the only sound to disturb her peace. However, after so long, the quietness turned to loneliness. She missed the adventures, even though they were dangerous. She missed having something to do, and she definitely missed bossing people around. After her robes had faded to dark purple, citizens of the castle seemed to treat her with less respect, like she didn't matter anymore. Marcia longer for the days when she'd visit Septimus or Jenna, but those were few and far between since they were both so busy. When things got too tough for the younglings, she'd help out and offer her knowledge, but again those times were rare.

With a heavy sigh, Marcia exited her room in her keep, tired of being bored. A walk in the snow would definitely clear her head, she thought, pulling her robes around herself firmly. The cold was bitter and sharp against her fragile skin. Dungeon Number One had scarred her for life; the fall had been tall and the damage severe, so her longer cloaks were often favoured on the chillier days. She pulled the long sleeves over her hands to keep them warm and continued to tread through the frosty earth. The smell of the air was refreshing. The cold made her feel alive. Everything was starting to make sense, until someone bashed into her abruptly. Had Marcia been wearing sensible shoes, she probably wouldn't have fallen over completely, but the pointy pythons betrayed her, causing the woman to stumble and slip on the ice. She felt a horrible pain, similar to her usual migraines and then the world went black.

Marcia awake after what felt like forever. She lay in a large king sized bed, next to a toasty open fireplace. The room was unrecognisable to her. Taking an educated guess, Marcia noted the riches and assumed that Jenna had bought her to the palace in her unconscious state. "How on earth would the girl carry you that far, Marcia?" She scoffed to herself and tried to sit up carefully.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A familiar voice muttered, almost immediately before pain rippled through Marcia's mind. She must have hit her head really hard for it to hurt so badly. "You took quite the fall, and I must apologise for I fear I was the cause of it." Milo said softly, approaching the bed with a mug of warm tea in his hand. Marcia took the drink without question and snuggled back into the pillows and blankets slightly.

She took a sip before replying. "Tish tosh, I wasn't looking where I was going, rather took in by my own thoughts I'm afraid. My falling over wasn't your doing." She smiled for the first time in what felt like forever. It made Milo grin too. He liked seeing her smile. "Did you carry me this whole way?" She suddenly asked, a tiny embarrassed blush rising over her cheeks.

"I did, but no-one saw… I can assure you." Milo nodded definitely. It was then that Marcia noticed the dark cloak wrapped around her shoulders. To a passerby she would look like a simple woman, being carried away by a strong sea-captain. "It's really nice to see you again, Marcia." Milo added with a small smile. Another blush arose on her face.

They'd been friendly with each other ever since she was apprenticed to Alther Mella in her youth and had he not been married to Cerys, Marcia might have thought herself in with a chance. She would never be one of those pathetic clingy girls however, so she paid little attention to the young Milo Banda. They had been simply acquaintances.

Things felt different now they were older. He was far more attractive and Cerys was gone. Marcia was no longer in need 24/7 at the Wizard Tower, with Septimus running the reigns. Life felt still and almost peaceful for a change.

"It's really nice to see you too." She eventually replied, more sentimental than she'd wanted to appear. With a long sip, she finished her tea and placed the mug on the side. This was Milo's queue to try and get her to stand up. "Let's see how brain damaged that fall has made you, shall we?" He teased, offering his hands for her to use as a hoist.

With difficult, Marcia managed to pull herself up to standing, until her knees gave way suddenly and she found herself falling. Strong arms grabbed her waist and held her carefully to his chest. "A little wobbly, but I think you'll live." Milo smiled lopsidedly.

She planted her feet better and gripped his shoulders for extra support. Turns out she'd twisted an ankle in her heels when she fell also. With an arm around her waist, Milo turned them and lifted her off her achy feet… Literally. "I believe the kitchen's still cooking if you're hungry, your Ex-ExtraOrdinaryness."

She chuckled and didn't protest at being carried, it was a nice feeling. Being enveloped in his warm scent and loving arms, it was almost like he cared for her. It had been a while since she'd felt this way. "Now might be a good time to catch up?" He added as he carried her through the dark cold corridors toward the kitchens.


	2. How've You Been?

Nice To See You Again.

_Author's Note: Just a quick update for you wonderful people, let me know if you want me to continue this story as I've had a few ideas on where I could take it. Your ideas are always welcome and appreciated too, so feel free to message me on here or on my tumblr at storywriter107. Sorry this chapter is quite short, but I wanted to set the scene and leave a little cliffhanger at the end. Let me know what you think in the reviews. Happy New Year, Heapsters! _

"So... how've you been?" Milo asked with a smile as he and Marcia enjoyed the meal the Castle Chef had prepared for them. Marcia's head hurt, more now than before and she had to really think about what he'd just asked her. Seeing the winced expression on her face, Milo took it upon himself to get her a glass of water and another ice pack, which she gratefully thanked him for. She was surprised by his caring demeanor, having not been around other humans for quite a few months. Marcia had almost forgotten how kind other people could be. "I've been fine, how have you been?" She asked, not wanting to delve too much into her loneliness.

"Keeping Jenna out of trouble... but that's about it. I think the Heaps are kind of sick of having me around if I'm honest. The men and I can't sleep on the ship. You'd be surprised to know that a lot of them get rather nauseous when the boat's not moving properly." He smiled, taking a mouthful of sorbet. Marcia nodded knowingly, she always got incredibly terrible seasickness. Thinking back to the countless times she'd been on a boat only increased her headache.

"I heard you moved into a hub?" Milo asked, thinking back to what Jenna had told him one morning at breakfast. "Doesn't it get lonely?" He added, not wanting to question her too much, but still wanting to get to know her better.

Marcia sipped her water and took a moment before replying. Should she just tell him the truth and appear to be the sad and lonely woman she was? Or lie and make everything seem fine? It was a difficult decision for Marcia. Being a rather private person she didn't like to share too much about herself with others. When she was Extra Ordinary she always had Septimus to confide in about most things, but now. Maybe it was time to open up?

"It was wonderful at first, but now it's like I have nothing to focus on. Some days I'll find things to do, but then..." She trailed off, and found Milo finishing for her. "There are days when you wish there was someone else there to talk to. I feel like that most of the time." He confessed, giving her a small soft smile. She agreed with a gentle sound that resided in the back of her throat. She supposed they had quite a lot in common at the moment, both being out of work, feeling lonely and out of the loop.

"Stay here tonight. I want to make sure you're not concussed and are feeling one hundred percent before you leave. I still feel heavily responsible for your fall." Milo confessed, and surprising herself Marcia agreed. She was never one to be told what to do and usually she'd decline his invitation simply out of principal, but she was starting to like Milo and his company. The thought of spending more time with him was welcomed... and she didn't fancy walking back to her hub in the dark cold night.

Once their food was finished, Marcia pulled off her Python shoes to inspect her twisted ankle. The swelling had gone down and she decided it was okay to walk on. It was only when she rose to her feet did she feel the sharp pain spread through her achilles heel. Instantly she winced and he was by her side, checking if she was alright. "Perfectly fine." She assured unconvincingly.

In that moment, she realised just how short she was compared to him without her heels. Before she could protest, she was in his arms once more, being carried towards the room she'd awoken in earlier that evening. "You're making a darn good habit out of this." Marcia laughed as he climbed the stairs with ease. Used to carrying heavy boxes filled with jewels and treasures, Milo found Marcia light as a feather and she felt that way when he carried her close.

"A habit I never intend to break." He mumbled as he kicked open the bedroom door lightly.


	3. Breakfast?

Nice To See You Again.

_Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for all the wonderful support on this story so far! Your reviews really help build my confidence in writing, and I love this fandom so much that I've decided to do a writing challenge! 500 one shots for the Septimus Heap fandom. Please send your prompts in because I'm gonna need 500! They can be for any ship, any topic, just as long as it's to do with Septimus Heap. I've read Todhunter Moon too, so I'm open for prompts set in the newer book also. Love you guys loads! - StoryWriter107._

He placed her on the bed lightly, looking over the smile that graced her lips. Milo liked seeing Marcia smile. It seemed like such a rare occurrence that he cleverly cherished the facial expression and soon found himself wanting to put a smile on her face always. There was something enchanting about the Extra Ordinary Wizard, something mysterious that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Marcia was rather plain looking really. She had large almond shaped eyes - the color of emeralds - curly hair that tumbled down past her shoulders and a rather soft face despite her hardened expressions.

Without another thought, he kissed her forehead and turned towards the door once again. "Goodnight, Marcia. I'll see you in the morning." The seaman beamed, ready to close the door behind him and allow her to rest when suddenly, he heard a voice beckon him back. "Wait..." She called, not knowing what had come over her. "... Please stay." Marcia uttered, moving to the right hand side of the bed so he'd have somewhere to sit. She wasn't usually this rebellious, wasn't so happy to throw caution to the wind but she really liked Milo and strangely enough, she trusted him.

When Milo nodded and approached the bed, he pulled the covers over them so they weren't too cold. The winter days were drawing all heat from the stone walls in the Castle, so sharing their body heat was a very sufficient idea really. With that in mind, Milo also threw caution to the wind and reached out to gently pull her into his arms, her back against his chest."Don't mention this to a single soul." Marcia warned, moving her head to look up at him. Secretly, she enjoyed being this close to him. It had felt like such a long time since someone had held her.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He whispered honestly, playing with a few curly strands of her hair as he breathed in the scent of pure magic. Milo watched as the beautiful woman in his arms closed the green eyes he'd been so mesmerized by and drifted into a deep sleep. He held her close, listening to her breathing gently before finally giving in to sleep himself.

_The next morning..._

The sun beamed through the curtains, enveloping the room with a loving glow to wake the deep sleepers in the bed. Milo was the first to open his eyes, feeling a weight pressed against his chest. Marcia hadn't moved at all last night and still lay asleep, cuddled into his side. She looked like a small child, relaxed and peaceful. He almost felt guilty for having to wake her, but it was already 9am and he knew she wouldn't want to waste the day away. Gently, he ran a hand through her hair, wanting to wake her in the nicest possible way... and it worked perfectly. She began to rouse slowly from her slumber, her eyes blinking a few times as they adjusted to the light.

As she yawned, Milo grinned and greeted her fondly. "Good morning, beautiful." He smiled, not expecting such a calm reaction from her. The Marcia he'd known as a young boy was always so reserved. "Feeling any better?" With a small grumble she nodded into his chest and made a sound that resembled the word 'yes' quite closely. This caused Milo to chuckle. Turns out Marcia wasn't much of a morning person, but he allowed her her requested 'five more minutes' before untangling himself to make her some tea.

When he returned, Marcia had changed into some fresh robes, that he suspected she'd magic'ed up from somewhere or other, and was much more mentally alive. "Morning." She muttered wistfully, pushing her curly hair away from her face.

He noticed the reserved expression of the old-Marcia slowly starting to return and quickly asked, "Fancy going out for breakfast?" Not wanting this feeling to end. When they were younger, they'd often spend a lot of time together. He was always running errands for Cerys and Marcia for Alther. In those days, it was better running errands together. He'd also pop round for tea on occasion, until Cerys died and he up and left without saying goodbye to anyone.

With a simple nod, Marcia accepted the offer of food, feeling her stomach grumble slightly.

It was still freezing cold outside the Palace walls, so Milo let her keep hold of his cloak from the night before. He was used to the bitter weather. The long trips to far away cities had toughened Milo's skin, especially after meeting Snow Princess Driffa from the Ice Kingdom - a true pain to trade with. Due to Marcia's slightly swollen ankle, she held onto Milo's arm for support, not wanting another fall; her purple python shoes were damaged enough.

The road to the Ramblings was wide and surrounded by quaint shops that were busy opening up for their days work. Septimus and Jenna had been out all morning trying to fix a problem at the Manuscriptorium and now they were finished, they sat eating sweets from Ma Custards. "And that was when Dandra told Beetle to give the FizzFruit to Ullr!" Septimus exclaimed, dying of laughter, not understanding how Jenna could find the strength not to even chuckle at his hilarious joke.

The Queen's attention however was on something else... or someone else. "Who's that woman?" She questioned aloud, her intense gaze following the shadows on the streets. "What woman?" Septimus replied, looking around in confusion at the area to see who his fellow friend meant. "The one Milo's with... You know, I saw him carrying a lady to the guest room last night. Probably some froozie." Jenna scoffed with a dramatic eye roll, getting up from her seat to follow her biological father.

Septimus followed closely behind, trying to catch a glimpse of the mystery woman, who's head was covered by the hood of the dark cloak. She was definitely tall and made a loud noise with her feet. That sound drew Septimus's gaze towards her shoes. It was only the slight twinkle of her purple pythons that gave her away. "It's Marcia!" He exclaimed, loud enough for only Jenna to hear. The Queen's face dropped instantly as realization struck. The way Marcia had first approached Milo all those years ago; when she had thought him to be some strange man following her. The way they'd embraced and looked at each other so longingly. Jenna frowned. Why did her life have to be so complicated.

"Did he just touch her hand? Sep... I swear I saw her holding Milo's hand." She mumbled, watching as the couple entered a small cafe at the bottom of the street. "Hey Jen, she could be your new step-mom!" He laughed, feeling eternally happy that his mentor was still going out and enjoying herself. Septimus had worried about taking the role of Extra-Ordinary from Marcia, mainly because she'd been so good at it. He didn't want her to feel useless or unloved, but right now he was praying that this separation was exactly what Marcia needed. He always wondered why she'd never found someone to settle down with and hoped that one day she'd find someone to love her forever. Maybe Milo was the one? Jenna obviously didn't agree. "Shut up, Sep."

At that moment, they noticed Marcia and Milo sitting by an arched window, and both teens moved to hide behind a large bush across the street. "He's probably just trying to catch up on how the Dragon Boat's doing, or you know... Maybe he's asking about you?" Septimus supplied, trying to console the Queen by offering her several reasons as to the couples behavior... but nothing could explain the happiness in their smiles and touches besides the one thing Jenna didn't want to hear. "Did Marcia just smile at him? She was laughing, Sep... Milo's really not that funny." She snorted, pulling a face that made Septimus laugh. "He's still holding her hand, that's just gross."

_Inside the cafe.._

"Let me take you to the theater tomorrow night. There's a wonderful show on at the Ramblings, that is... if you're not busy?" Milo asked, rubbing circles on Marcia's hand with his thumb.

They'd ordered their breakfast and were just waiting for it to arrive when she mentioned how much she used to love going to see performances in the Ramblings as a young girl. That memory mixed with possibly going with Milo and how much she enjoyed his company, prompted her answer.

"I'd love to."


End file.
